1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bioreactor system of and a method for probing toxic materials and, more particularly, to a bioreactor system capable of monitoring the pollution of toxic materials continuously and economically and a method for probing toxic materials by use of the system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The pollution or toxicity of the water in, for example, rivers, sources of water supply, and waste water disposal plants has been classified by the kinds of the aquatic organisms, such as water flea and fishes, to live therein.
In order for this conventional technique to be valid, the extent to which toxic chemicals or materials affect the aquatic organisms must first be determined. On the basis of this determination, introduction and toxicity levels of toxic materials can be decided. Accordingly, it takes a great deal of time to probe the toxicity of water with the technique of utilizing the aquatic organisms. Further, in the conventional technique it is difficult to continuously detect various toxic materials.
Recently, active research has been directed to utilizing microorganisms in probing toxicity of water, which have advantages over the aquatic organisms. For instance, there advantages over the aquatic organisms. For instance, there were developed genetically-recombinant bacteria which are able to emit biological light according to the kinds of toxic materials. Where the bacteria are used for a long time to determine whether toxic materials are introduced into the water of waste water treatment plants, rivers, or sources of water supply, a large quantity of nutrient media are required for their growth and maintenance. The presence of a large quantity of toxic materials inhibits the growth of the microorganisms, resulting in inability to probe toxicity of water.